Ramsey MHK Lawrie Hooper has resigned as the political member for the Department of Infrastructure (DoI) and the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture (DEFA), citing a shift away from ‘common sense’ in the newly formed Council of Ministers.

Mr Hooper handed in his resignation on Monday, following a dramatic cabinet reshuffle that saw Dr Michelle Haywood and Dr Alex Allinson leave their roles as Infrastructure and Treasury Ministers respectively.

Dr Haywood described her sacking as ‘cowardice’ and ‘shocking’, saying she was informed via a brief WhatsApp call rather than face-to-face.

In a strongly worded statement, Mr Hooper said: ‘Given the government's complete about face on the minimum wage and the significant shift away from common sense that has resulted with the new Council of Ministers – on Monday I handed in my resignation from both the DoI and DEFA.

‘The way the Chief Minister behaved in Tynwald on Tuesday, his personal and aggressive attacks on other members and the refusal by him and the new Treasury Minister to provide Tynwald with information on what their “new direction” is really going to cost only served to reinforce to me that I made the right call.’

He added: ‘The Government has now become about doing what is expedient for the few, what is convenient for Ministers and not what is right for the island.

‘When MHKs come to your door in September, many of them will tell you they opposed the government or that they were “holding them to account” – but they are the ones propping them up.

‘If you truly want change on the island I encourage you to join a political party as this is the only way to ensure the government is accountable to the people.’

When dismissing the DoI Minister, Chief Minister Alfred Cannan highlighted the department’s role in introducing the roll-out of 20mph speed limits and the controversy surrounding the Local Government Bill as key issues that ‘need to be addressed differently’.